The British National party is to field candidates in 13 of the 15 wards in next month's local elections in Burnley, Lancashire, one of three northern towns and cities hit by race riots last year.

It has five candidates in Oldham, Greater Manchester, considerably fewer than originally predicted, and only one in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

The party, which agitates for "rights for whites" and has developed new strategies in community politics, is making determined efforts to win seats after gaining significant shares of the vote in key areas at the general election.

Its leader, Nick Griffin, described the election campaign as its "biggest push ever" and reminded supporters that Derek Beackon won a seat for the party in Tower Hamlets in 1993. "Almost a decade later, the party is stronger than ever before," he said on the party's website.

Most of the Burnley candidates are new to politics and are not previously known as BNP activists. They include brothers John and Andrew Kenyon. According to the local BNP website, Andrew Kenyon is a former paratrooper who was injured during the Falklands war.

"I want a British future for my children in Burnley - people are worried. In the past they have been frightened to speak out for fear of being branded a racist, but now they feel they must voice their concerns."

John Kenyon contested Gawthorpe ward for the BNP in 2000 and picked up 8% of the vote.

"I think the BNP are getting a bit freaked out in Oldham because they have not got as many candidates as they thought they would," said a spokeswoman for the Anti-Nazi League, which is holding weekly leafleting sessions in both Burnley and Oldham. "But the numbers in Burnley are far more a cause for concern. These are people we have never heard of."

Shahid Malik, injured in Burnley when riot police tackled him to the ground as he tried to calm tensions, said: "I think it's a frightening number of candidates and the BNP are obviously looking to consolidate the gains they made during the general election. It's worrying that they are putting so much energy into Burnley and the authorities need to take their heads out of the sand.

"Everyone needs to vote. This is not a battle for the Asian community but for everyone living in Burnley."

One of the Oldham wards the BNP is contesting covers part of the Asian area of Glodwick, centre of last year's riots.

"There are a lot fewer candidates than I expected," said Phil Woolas, Labour MP for Oldham East. "It shows that they are a lot less organised than I thought they were.

"But I think they will win seats. Previously if you asked people how they were going to vote, they would say they were Labour or Liberal Democrat or just look at the floor. Now they look you in the eye and say they are BNP."

Extra police will be on duty at Oldham Athletic's home game today against Stoke City. Last year's fixture was marred by racist incidents after the game.

· Labour's only local council gain this week turned sour within hours yesterday, when the party's winning candidate resigned after failing to declare a criminal conviction for assault. Daniel Evans, who narrowly captured the previously Liberal Democrat ward of Thurcroft and Whiston in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was given suspended prison sentences of six months for causing actual bodily harm and three months for assault in 1988. Neither the convictions nor failure to declare them would disbar him from public office, because of the time which has elapsed.